Bid shopping would cease under a proposal being drafted by
Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski, D-PA, with the assistance of the American Subcontractors
Association (ASA). The legislation would promote openness in the federal bidding process
by requiring prime contractors to list in their bids the subcontractors they will use if
their bid is selected, and to abide by that decision in using the listed subcontractors to
perform the work. Such a bill would combat the unethical business practices of bid
shopping and bid peddling, said ASA Government Relations Chairman Bob Reick.

Bid shopping occurs when a prime contractor uses a subcontractors price in
computing his bid, but then shops that bid for a lower price after the government has
accepted the prime bid. ASA says bid peddling occurs when subcontractors attempt to win
contracts by undercutting other subcontractors prices after the prime
contractors bid has been accepted. ASA maintains bid listing legislation would
discourage both these practices and would lower construction costs for the government and
the taxpayer.

CCC Extends Exam Exemption

Experienced constructors will have an additional year to qualify as
Certified Professional Constructors without taking the Construction Qualification
Examination (CQE) Level I  Construction Fundamentals. The Constructor Certification
Commission (CCC) of the American Institute of Constructors has voted to extend the
exemption for experienced contractors from the Level I exam through Dec. 31, 2000. The
extension will allow experienced constructors to concentrate on preparing for the CQE
Level II exam  Advanced Construction Applications.

The constructor certification is a voluntary, non-governmental, private process that
tests basic and advanced construction knowledge through written examinations and verifies
professional experience and/or education, according to the CCC. Experienced constructors
may request an exemption from the Level I exam but still must pass the Level II exam and
meet all other requirements to receive certification.

Construction Has Difficulty Hiring
Project Managers

Having a hard time finding project managers?
Youre not alone. According to a recent survey conducted by the Association for
Project Managers, the percentage of design and construction organizations finding it
difficult to hire project managers is on the rise. The figure jumped from 69.2 percent in
the 1998 survey to 78.4 percent in 1999.

In addition, the rate of turnovers increased as 61.5 percent of the companies surveyed
reported losing a project manager, compared to 47.6 percent in 1998. Further results
showed that the median age of project managers dropped from 40-years-old to 38-years-old.
Also, the average salary for the group dropped 5.7 percent from $53,000 in 1998 to $50,000
in 1999.

The association accumulated its results from a survey of 44-member firms.